The house that we built
by ComittedKid01
Summary: Vermont always seemed so far away. It was something they both wanted; both longed for. Can they cope with trying to be together when everyone around them is trying to tear them apart or will they collapse under the pressure.
1. Chapter 1

The house that we built

**CHAPTER 1: ON MY MIND**

**THIS CHAPTER IS DEDICATED TO #GLADIATORS EVERYWHERE! I LOVE OUR SCANDAL FAMILY! XX**

These walls put up by hand, each brick placed with hope. The fire place laid with bewildering expectation. Each element crafted on dreams. Dreams of Vermont… and the house that love built.

Fitz sat behind his desk in the oval office and watched as his gorgeous wife waddled towards him. He couldn't help but smile at the sight of a heavily pregnant Olivia Pope; her small frame supporting the new life they had created together.

Olivia caught him staring at her and stopped in her tracks; one hand resting on her enormous baby bump, the other on her hip. "Fitzgerald Thomas Grant the III, didn't anyone tell you it's rude to stare?" Fitz chuckled, smiling even wider than before. He pulled himself out of his chair and walked over to his wife. "Yes… but I'm allowed a little leeway because I'm the leader of the free world and my pregnant wife if gorgeous."

He knelt down in front of her and placed both hands on her belly; delighted when he felt little feet kick out at him. Olivia ran a hand through his hair as he spoke to her stomach. "Hey there buddy, that's a pretty mean kick you got there. You know mommy and I can't wait to meet you." Olivia smiled, watching Fitz talk to their unborn child. He was so happy; happier that she had ever seen him.

She lifted his chin towards her, motioning for him to stand up; he obliged, placing a gentle kiss on her lips. Smiling, Olivia side stepped past Fitz but not quick enough. Fitz grabbed at her, wrapping his arms around her; placing his hands on her belly and gently nuzzling her neck. "And where do you think you're going?"

Olivia smiled and intertwined their fingers. "Fitz… I have some news…" He kissed her cheek, 'Okay… good or bad?" Olivia turned in his arms, her enormous belly cresting a barrier between them; "well I think it's good news.." Fitz frowned a little, "you dont seem so convinced… Liv? what is it?" Liv fiddled with the lapels of his suit jacket. "You said things were going to be different than how they were with Mellie right?"

Fitz nodded and pushed a strand of hair out of her face. "Liv, I love you, your the love of my life… that in itself makes things completely different… but yes everything is different… why? what's wrong?" Olivia planted a surprise kiss on Fitz's lips. In that moment all of the pain and heartache of the past melted away. She released his lips and looked into his eyes.

"I went to the Dr. today." Fitz frowned; panicked. "Are you and the baby okay? What happened. You should have called me." Placing a finger to his lips to silence him, she pulled a piece of paper out of her pocket and gave it to him. "I wanted to surprise you." Fitz took the paper from her and stared at it in amazement. "Is… that?"

He looked up momentarily to catch Olivia nodding, "Yes… and I know you usually find out the sex of the baby in an interview or from the Drs, but I wanted this to be our moment, we can release a statement later ob but I…" Fitz stopped her from saying anything else. "I love you…. Thank you for being you.' Olivia smiled. "I would totally understand if you dont want to know.

Fitz shook his head, "No I wanna know…" He placed both hands on her belly again… "Okay, are you sure Fitz?" He kissed her lips, "I have never been more sure about anything." She nodded, "In just over 3 months we will be welcoming a baby…."

Fitz snapped awake, alone in bed. He rubbed his weary face with his hands and sighed. He stretch out his arm across the empty side of the bed; stone cold. No one had been there in a while. His moment of thought was interrupted by the phone on the night stand ringing, causing him to jump a little. "Hello?"

It was Cyrus. His very unwanted wake up call.

Fitz felt deflated; it had all been just a dream. He sighed, sitting up, swinging his feet over the edge of the bed and onto the floor. Today was gonna suck. Cyrus had informed him of what his day was going to look like; all Fitz knew was that his mind wouldn't be on any of it. He would spend the day trying to recapture the images and feelings of his dream. It had been nearly an hour since Cyrus had called and he made his presence known once again with a knock on the door. "Mr. President?" Today was going to suck.

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Olivia closed her eyes and tried to will herself back to sleep. It wasn't working of course but she thought she should try. She didn't usually give into fantasies, especially ones that involved a certain high powered politician, but the dream she had abruptly woken from had been nothing short of amazing. There was no doubt that it would be lingering in the back of her mind. She sighed heavily as her phone rang on the night stand. "Olivia Pope". She listened to the voice on the other end of the call, sitting up she began to get ready. The day was starting early.

Olivia phoned the others on her way to the office and filled them in on the next "scandal" they were taking on. The elevator door opened in front of her and she stepped off, catching a glimpse of the plaque that emblazoned the door in front go her; Olivia Pope & Associates. It was her family; these people she had found along there way had become her people. She pushed the door open and stepped into her domain. Waving at Huck who sat furiously typing on his computer, Olivia made her way to her office. Abby joined her on the way, handing her a folder of information. "The others should be ready in a few minutes, we're set up in the conference room". Olivia nodded and closed the door behind them as they entered her office; she hadn't said a word. Abby eyed her suspiciously; she could tell something was bothering her friend and it was never good when Liv wasn't on top of her game.

Olivia had sat down at her desk and begun scanning the folder. She must have zoned out and came crashing back to reality when Abby placed a hand on her shoulder. "Liv?… Are you okay?" Olivia shook her head and looked up at Abby, "I'm fine, the other's ready?" Without waiting for a response, she sprung from her chair and headed for the conference room; Abby close behind. Huck and Quinn looked up from their respective laptops as Liv entered, "Where are we?"

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After a lengthy rant from Cyrus about the importance of punctuality, Fitz had finally made it to the Oval Office. Removing his suit jacket, he slumped down into his chair. He had a few moments to sit in silence before the barrage of the day would begin. He peered at the framed pictures on his desk; Karen, Jerry and baby Teddy. He stopped at the frame closest to the middle of the desk; it was a picture of him and Liv while they were on the campaign trail, they were both pointing to something out shot. They were happy; together. Fitz picked up the frame and thumbed the glass. His moment was broken by the door opening and Cyrus walking in. He placed the frame back on the desk and looked at Cyrus expectantly, "what's first?"

Cyrus could tell something was up with Fitz from the moment he had given him his wake up call, and walking into the Oval Office just now had confirmed what the problem was; Olivia Pope. He eyed the president cautiously, trying to decide the best way to approach the situation. He walked over to the desk. Cyrus decided it was better to leave the situation for the moment. "You have a meeting with the joint chiefs on the "flightzone" issue, then we need to get you to the hill to the senate announcement." Fitz ran a hand through his hair, "so an easy day then?" Cyrus cocked his head to the side and chuckled, "aren't they all?"

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"Congressman Trey Jackson., 35, hails from Missouri, lives right here in D.C. Youngest man to obtain a congressional seat. Fights for stricter drugs laws, supports underprivileged youth and according to essence magazine he looks good doing it; voting him #5 in the hottest 100 of 2013. Your regular boy scout; that was until last night when he was accused of sexual assault by one, Scott Williams." Olivia listened intently as Abby rattled off the key points of the case. She nodded as Abby concluded, 'okay. What do we have on his accuser Scott Williams?"

It was now Quinn's turn to deliver, 'Scott Allen Williams, 30, graduate of Georgetown, majored in political science, works for the office of congressman Jackson. Hasn't been in any serious trouble, a few parking tickets but thats it. He's pretty clean. Huck stood up and handed Olivia a piece of paper, 'I looked into his financials. He's doing pretty well for a congressional aide. No student loans, drives a 2012 E-Class, black. Has a few G's in the bank".

Olivia frowned. "No loans and how much is a few G's?" Huck shrugged, "no loans and from the bank accounts I could find he's got exactly $47,342.69". Liv looked at the board infront of her; photos, bank statements and other information. 'Get the congressman in here. I want all the details. Huck see if you can get into his email and social media accounts, I need more on Mr. Williams. Abby, Quinn, find Mr. Williams and had a chat with him; low key, we don't want to tip our hand just yet.

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Fitz could feel himself dozing off in his meeting with the joint chiefs. Normally he would have loved to hear all about the problems with the fly zones set up by the UN but today he just could deal with it. He raised his hand, stopping a general in his tracks, "gentlemen, I know protecting our skies and the pilots flying through them is important, I do. I just seem to recall hearing all of this last week. can you all honestly tell me that you've come up with nothing to fix these problems since then?" The room remained silent; feeling like a chastised child. Acknowledging this Fitz continued, 'since that is the case I'm going to leave you all to think of something, if you can't come up with some solutions, I might have to consider that you are not after all the men for the job!" With that he stood, the rest of the room following suit "Mr. President." Fitz nodded and left the room. Cyrus gathered his papers, "I suggest you all come up with something… quickly". They all nodded and watched him leave; the door clicking closed softly behind him.

**NOTE: There's chapter 1 done and dusted. Hope you all like this story. reviews, favs and alerts mean a lot. please dont be afraid to tell me what you think or where you might like the story to go. much love XX MEL XX**


	2. Chapter 2

The House that we built- Chapter 2: A bad situation can only get worse

**Here's chapter 2! I am so grateful to all who faved, followed and reviewed. Your interest in the story keeps driving me forward. Once again this chapter is dedicated to all the #Gladtiators worldwide. Our #Scandal family rocks! **

Cyrus chased Fitz down the corridor and caught up with him; deciding now might be the time to confront the situation.

"Is everything alright, Mr. President?"

Fitz glanced at Cyrus. He knew what he was asking but decided to side step it; Olivia was not a subject they spoke about.

"Should it be? I've got a cabinet of Joint Chiefs who can't find solutions to relatively simple issues and now I have to go to the hill to announce the resignation of a senator, who for all intents and purposes was the backbone of this administrations agenda because he thought it would be a good idea to add a little something extra to his morning coffee. I'm the leader of the free world Cy, and at every turn I keep getting hit in the face by people who just don't seem to know what they are doing. I'm trying to run a country and all it feels like I'm is chaperoning a bunch of teenagers at a school dance."

Cyrus nodded. They had made their way back to the Oval Office; he closed the door behind them and waited for Fitz to continue, knowing he hadn't quite said everything he wanted to say. Sitting down, Fitz continued.

"Is it to much to ask that the people I appoint to do these jobs actually do them? I'm tired Cyrus…. I need everything we're doing, everything we're sacrificing to mean something.

Cyrus stood in front of Fitz's desk, "what do you need, Mr. President?"

Fitz frowned and looked up at Cyrus, a rage building up inside him. "I need someone to be on my side! To make all of this easier! To do the job the people elected us for!"

Cyrus knew that this was all just a precursor to what he really wanted; to see Olivia Pope. Cyrus let out a heavy breath, "I'm on your side Mr. President." Fitz sighed, "I know Cy, I didn't mean…." Cyrus cut him off.

"Do you want to resign… right now? Let all of this go, run off and try to be happy? Is that it? Cause the way I see it sir, your looking for a door marked exit… You want things to be easy but the fact of the matter is, the things in life most worth doing are often the hardest and we have to make do."

Fitz ran a hand through his hair, "okay Cyrus, I get it."

Cyrus shifted his position from one foot to the other, "you sure sir? Cause this is just how it is… its tough, its dirty and nobody wants to be the team leader when everything seems lost, but if you wanna throw it all away to go off and pretend to be normal, to be happy, maybe you weren't meant to be president, maybe all those men and women out there sacrificed everything for nothing."

Fitz eyed Cyrus closely. "We're not talking about politics anymore are we?" Cyrus shook his head and took a deep breath in. "no… we're not Mr. President."

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Olivia sat in her office, lost in thought until Huck knocked on the door, "Liv?" Olivia looked up, "what is it Huck?" Huck stepped into the office and closed the door behind him. "Congressman Jackson is tied up on the hill… his office said that they weren't sure when he would be free to come to the office." Olivia stood up and began putting on her coat. "Well we will just have to go to him then."

She picked up her bag and was on her way out of the door when Huck grabbed her arm to stop her, "Liv are you okay?" Olivia felt a heavy sigh escape her; she knew Huck could see right through to the core of the problem. "I'm fine Huck." Huck shook his head, "no… we've known each other to long and have been through to much for you to lie to me and think I won't notice. If I don't know what's going on I can't help you… I can't protect you."

Olivia shook her head and took a step away from Huck, "I don't need protecting… We have a client, a job to do… lets focus on that." With that she walked out of her office and headed for the elevator. Huck watched her leave, standing in the crux of the office; Abby stepped up beside him. "Something is going with her. She's not on the top of her game. What's going on Huck?" Huck glanced at Abby out of the corner of his eye, "she's Liv… It's none of our business." Abby frowned; Huck would stand in front of a bus if Olivia asked him to. "Do you ever just think for yourself? That maybe, just maybe Olivia doesn't know everything and rule the world as we know it and her not being on the top of her game is putting everyone at risk?" Huck lifted his gaze from the floor and looked directly at Abby, 'she's handling it." With that Huck walked away leaving Abby standing alone, "Company man!"

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The Capitol building loomed in the distance as the presidential motorcade made its way down Pennyslvania Avenue. Fitz was relieved when Cyrus got called to stay at the White House; he really couldn't handle any more of Cyrus's speeches today. He was at a count of two and it wasn't even lunchtime. He knew Cyrus was right for the most part but couldn't help but wonder what it would be like to pack it all in and run off with Olivia. That was still the plan. After his presidency, that he and Liv would go to Vermont, he would be mayor, they would have babies and she would make jam. Fitz smiled and closed his eyes; images of his dream filtered through his mind. For a few moments he was genuinely happy. That was until the car came to a stop and his secret service agent Tom opened the door, "sir, we're here." Fitz sighed; the day continued, "thanks Tom."

A slew of reporters had gathered for the announcement; their camera flashes giving them away before Fitz could see them. He stepped out of his car and into the barrage of waiting media, thankful to the security and his secret service agents for keeping them at a respectful distance. He didn't mind reporters or the media but at times their will to get a story or the best shot made them push the boundaries to the limit. Fitz ascended the steps of the Capitol Building, the group of reporters trailing behind him. Reaching the top he was greeted by a few important types. They shook hands, smiled and gave a good show to the media before going inside to where the press conference was going to take place.

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"Okay, you and Quinn bring him back to the office. I will be back soon. Thanks Abby." Olivia hung up the phone and pushed the door to the men's room open; it no longer seemed to register just how many times she had entered a men's room in search of a client or to make a point to an unsuspecting person interfering in her political world. The door swung closed behind her and she immediately spotted who she was looking for; congressman Trey Jackson. He was washing his hands and hadn't acknowledged the sound of someone entering the restroom. Olivia walked over and stood behind him; her reflection in the mirror in front of him made him look up. "Can I help you?"

Olivia placed her phone back into her handbag, "I'm here to help you congressman… seems you've gotten yourself into a sticky situation."

The congressman frowned, turning towards Olivia, "I don't know who you think you are or what you think you know about me but you had better leave this men's room immediately."

Olivia gave the congressman a knowing smiled and stepped towards him. "Congressman… what I know about you is entirely more than I'd like to…. For instance, I know that when you were twelve, you and a friend were arrested for drug possession but no charges were laid on you because you threw your friend under the bus; he's currently doing 5 years in a maximum -security prison for violence offences… I wonder how he would feel knowing that his wrap sheet started with you giving him up… or do you wanna talk about that trip your sister took to Bellevue last year… I bet that's not something you discuss. As for who I think I am…. I'm Olivia Pope and I am the only person capable of saving you reputation as a United States Congressman now you've been accused of sexual assault by Scott Williams… Now we can either talk about how I'm going to save your political career or I can leave and throw you under the bus; the choice is yours."

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Fitz shook the senators hand and smiled at the gathering of reporters in front of him; none of them aware of the real reason behind the senator's resignation. After a few photo's the press conference concluded and the media group dissipated into a few strays here and there. He looked over at Tom and nodded; they were on the move, even if it was only a short distance to the men's room across the expansive floor of the capital dome. Tome radioed the other secret service agents positioned around the area and they began the walk towards the inconspicuously placed men's room door; a short corridor hiding its placement. Tom and Hal took up their position s on either side of the walkway's entrance as Fitz moved towards the door. It wasn't a long trip back to the White House but when you had to go, you had to go. He turned the handle and pushed open the door. He came to an abrupt stop when he looked the two people before him; his heart dropping, "Olivia?... Congressman Jackson?"

**NOTE: That's it for chapter 2! Hope you liked it. I ABSOLUTELY loved writing Liv's monolog to Congressman Jackson. I could envision her actually saying it! Haha. She slays! As usual reviews, favs, and alerts are love! Thanks for reading**

**Much love **

**XX MEL XX**


	3. Chapter 3

**The house that we built- Chapter 3: We've all done things.**

**This chapter is dedicated to #Gladiators everywhere but with special shout outs to all my reviewers… I love you all and our #Scandal family. I wrote this chapter extra long for you to celebrate the fact that I just got accepted into the NEW YORK FILM ACADEMY! So this is my gift to you. ENJOY! **

The door swung open and Fitz strode out onto the capitol floor; Olivia close behind. "Fitz…" He kept walking; his secret service agents moving in sync. Tom turned towards Olivia and raised his hands to stop her pursuit. "Ma'am…" Olivia looked at Tom and frowned, "I need to talk to him Tom, please." Tom's gaze shifted from Olivia to the man exiting the restroom behind her; at least he knew why the President had walked off in such a rush. "I don't think that's such a good idea Ms. Pope." He eyed the few reporters still around.

Olivia strained to see Fitz still walking off into the distance; she sighed. "Tell him to call me." Tom nodded slightly at the request, "yes ma'am."

Fitz just kept walking. He knew if he stopped everything would come flooding out and he didn't really need the attention on his personal life; especially with Mellie being out of the country. It would only cause another love triangle scandal and the only person who could fix it was one third of the problem. He made it to the armored car waiting outside. Hal opened the door and he slid in. Once the door was closed he broke down a little; leaning forward, his elbows on his knees, head in his hands. He knew he should have let her explain the situation but the shock of seeing the two together in a men's room was just too much. He sat back as the car began to move. Today really did just suck.

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Olivia strode through OPA towards her office. She came to a halt when she spotted a man sitting in the conference room. He had short brown hair, a close cut, military style. He wore a light blue button up shirt with a darker blue tie; black suit pants. Olivia assumed that his ensemble was an entire suit; his jacket placed over the back of his chair. She watched as Quinn placed a cup down in front of him. As she did so she looked up at Olivia. She made her way to where Liv was standing.

Olivia's brow furrowed and she nodded towards the man, "is that Scott Williams?" Quinn nodded and folded her arms in front of her. "Yes… but Liv, I think there is more to this story than what we know! Did you find the congressman?" Olivia nodded, her eyes still fixed on the man in the conference man. "I did. He will be here in an hour." She managed to tear her gaze away and look at Quinn, "so that means we have less than that to talk to him. Where's Abby?" Olivia moved towards her office, Quinn in tow. "She is at the justice department. Apparently they got wind of this and she's talking to David Rosen to see if she can get him to refrain from investigating until we have all the facts."

There was a short silence between the pair before Quinn remembered something, "oh, I almost forgot. Huck said that this was dropped off for you." She fished the cell phone out of her pocket and handed it to Olivia. She took it and looked at it; typical burner phone. It was a "Fitz" phone. Tom had most likely dropped it off; she was definitely going to get some questions from Huck later. She shook her head back into reality, "thanks Quinn." Just as she placed the phone on the desk, Abby came through the door, "I've got good… "I've got bad… "I've got catastrophic." Olivia frowned and sighed, "what is it Abby?" she stepped further into Liv's office, "the good.. I managed to get more info on both parties… the bad… the info on Mr. Williams doesn't help our case, it makes it more likely that congressman Jackson did do something." Olivia stood up and removed her jacket, placing it on the rack in the corner of the room. She turned back to Abby, "and the catastrophic?" Abby scratched her forehead, "I couldn't convinced David to hold off; he's starting an official investigation. Olivia thumped her fist on her desk, "he is becoming a right pain in my neck… ok then we bet get to work; lets talk to Mr. Williams."

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Cyrus paced back and forth across the presidential seal in the Oval Office, his mind in overdrive. He had watched the press conference from his office; everything seemed to go off without a hitch. That was until he had received a phone call from a journalist asking about Olivia Pope and the President in a men's room. His blood was at boiling point. He looked around the room, at what it represented. This was hallowed ground and he felt like everything that they had sacrificed to get here was about to come undone yet again. He came to a halt as the door swung open and the President walked in. He began to speak immediately but was silenced by Fitz raising a hand. He walked over to the decanter of scotch sitting on the side table next to one of the sofas in the room and poured himself a glass. He looked at the amber liquid in the glass and sighed; it felt like the only thing that could make him feel like he was still alive. He knew he had lots going for him but life without love was really no life at all. He loved Olivia, she was the love of his life, but the forces that be seemed to be destined to make sure they could never be happy.

In one swift move he downed the liquid and grimaced slightly at the after burn it left in his throat. He poured another glass and sat down on the sofa with a heavy thud. Cyrus looked at him and felt him self begin to calm down. He transferred the folder he had in his hand from one to the other and sat down opposite to Fitz; his friend, not his President… his friend was hurting and a speech would not help the situation right now. Fitz glanced at Cyrus, drink in hand. "Did you see it?"

Cyrus nodded and leant forward, "yes… he's trending favorably… mostly just people saying he was good at his job and that he would be missed." Fitz took a sip of his drink and chuckled slightly, "the things people don't know could fill a thousand books. I wonder what they would say if they knew the real reason for his stepping down." Cyrus frowned and leant forward, "sir… we can't". Fitz closed his eyes and nodded in Cyrus's direction, "I know Cy… It would be political suicide… not just for him but this administration… people would start to wonder if we knew the whole time… my decisions as commander in chief would be questioned… a nightmare." Cyrus stood up and poured himself a scotch. He normally hated it, but right now he could see that his friend needed someone to be there for him. "It's just how it is Mr. President…"

Fitz sat forward his elbows on his knees, nursing his drink; his eyes beginning to redden from tears he was trying to fight back, "can I ask you something Cyrus?" Cyrus sat back down and nodded, "sure…" Taking another burning swig of his drink, Fitz looked directly at him, "how do you know when it's time to let go?" Cyrus frowned; slightly confused by the question, "sir?" The air was thick with things unsaid, just like it always was but somehow this had felt different, like a change was coming and things would either rise up or crash and burn. "I mean… like with your wife. How did you know that it was the right time to let her go… move on?" Cyrus let out a heavy sigh and shifted on the sofa; he wasn't one to talk about his past very much. "Well…" he took a few moments to realize the ramifications of his answer, "it comes down to who you are… whether your happy living a lie, doing a dance that will never have a satisfying ending. I lived a lie…. It's not something I'm proud of… it hurt people, myself included. I denied myself the chance to find out who I was… you just know when it's a lost cause and there is no way through… but… I was lucky… I found James…"

Fitz couldn't help but half smile at Cyrus, "I didn't know you were such a romantic Cy…" Cyrus downed the last of the scotch in his glass and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, "just don't tell James… I will never hear the end of it." Both Fitz and Cyrus begin to laugh; a short-lived session that diminished into a somber feeling driven by the burn of scotch. A heavy silence filled the air; only broken by a knock on the door and Agent Tom Larsen entering. Cyrus took this as his cue to leave; he needed to make a call. One that he was sure would give him the answers he needed. He stood up and walked the door, "Mr. President." Fitz nodded and watched as he left; the door closing behind him.

Tom stood waiting for the President to say something. He had been on POTUS detail ever since Fitzgerald Thomas Grant the III had been elected. He liked his job; protecting the President. It did have its challenges but he knew it was all worth it in the long run. He shared POTUS detail with Hal; who was more… straight lined than he was. Tom would always do what was needed, even if it wasn't what he believed to be morally right or ethically justified. One thing he knew not to question was the President's love for Olivia Pope. The woman had a hold on his President and he would do what ever he could to make sure that they at least had a fighting chance to be happy.

After a few moments Fitz spoke, " what did she say?" Tom looked directly at his president, "not much sir. I didn't really give her a chance; there were still reporters around. She did tell me to ask you to call her." Fitz walked around his desk and sat in his plush leather chair, "what does she hope that will achieve?" Tom shook his head; he wasn't sure of what to say. He took the plunge; screw it. "I think she hoped to explain sir." From the second the words slipped from his mouth, he could feel the president's eyes on him; he was in this far he might as well step fully across the line. "It might not be as it looked Mr. President." Fitz raised his eyebrows in surprise; Tom had never been one to say anything that wasn't asked of him, "and how do you figure that?" Tom shifted nervously under his gaze, "respectfully sir?" Fitz nodded for Tom to continue; he did value his council and had always been there for him when it came to protecting him and in the case of Olivia Pope. "She loves you. I stand… I watch… you wait for her… she waits for you… you both fit each other better than I have ever known anyone to… no disrespect to the First Lady but the smile you get on your face whenever you see Ms. Pope… you try to hide it but it's my job to notice differences… She loves you… Respectfully sir."

Fitz sighed and leaned heavily back on his chair; looking at Tom with half a smile on his face, "you've been waiting for a long time to say that haven't you?" Tom cocked his head slightly to the side, "I say it respectfully sir… and knowing who you are and how you feel about Ms. Pope… I've implemented the Falcon code." There was a long silence between the pair. Fitz knew that Tom was right; he knew that eventually he would cave and want to either see or talk to Olivia. Tom's posture stiffened after a few moments, "sir if there is nothing else… I have to get back to my post." Fitz nodded and waved him towards the door. "Mr. President."

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Olivia eyed the man in front of her curiously. Everyone had gathered in the conference room to talk to Mr. Williams; Liv needed the full story. "Okay Mr. Williams, you're gonna need to tell me everything, even if you don't think its significant… and it had better be the truth because if you lie and I find out it will make life incredibly hard for you…. Harder than what it is right now, having accused a United States Congressman of sexual assault."

The young man frowned, "and who might you be to make my life harder than it already is?' Olivia secretly loved this part; at just the mere mention of her name people rethought their next move. "I'm Olivia Pope… and right now I'm a friend but that can all change in the blink of an eye." Scott had indeed heard of her and her team but didn't feel the slightest bit worried; he wasn't afraid of anything at this point.

"Is that supposed to frighten me? Make me shake in my boots? Sorry to tell you… I don't find you the least bit intimidating. You wanna know the full story?... Fine here it is. I'm tired of living in the shadows; not as an individual bit as a partner. As I can see by all your research stuck to the windows, you know a bit about me. I'm an aide to congressman Jackson… I'm 35 years old with a degree in political science. What you wall of intel doesn't inform you of is that I'm a gay man who thought he was in a committed relationship with the love of his life. So no…. your name and your entourage do not frighten me Ms. Pope…. What frightens me is that we still live in a society where a gay man feels ashamed of himself, of who he is and can't face the world; to tell people he's in love because if he did… his whole life, his future would come crashing down around him and if there is something he loves more than me…. Its being a congressman."

Everyone in the room looked at one another; surprised to say the least.. Olivia was the first to break the stale silence. "So your telling us that Congressman Trey Jack son is gay?" Scott fiddled with the handle of the mug in front of him, "yes but he'll deny it… You'll have to drag him out of his congressional closet for him to tell anyone that. I didn't want to have to force him but I can't live my life hiding the fact that I am in love with him. I want to enjoy my life, experience all of its joys, share love with the world, not pretend I'm just some aide, someone who gets paid. I wish the world could see him the way I do… but he's too ashamed, to afraid of loosing all he's worked for. I just don't think he understands that I lose everything everyday that I can't say I love him in public, hold his hand or eat at a restaurant without having to call him congressman Jackson. I don't know if you've ever felt that kind of love Ms. Pope, where everything you do and have ever done has been dictated by the way someone looks at you or how they make you lose your breath every time your in the same room. I don't want to hide that; I shouldn't have to hide that."

Olivia found herself thinking about how Fitz made her feel. She understood how Scott felt; there had to be a way to help both of them. "Ok I understand your reason's but your not my client the congressman is…" Before she could get another word out, Scott raised his hand, "I'm the one who called you Ms. Pope. I was the one who leaked the story. I just wanted… no…. I needed a problem for you to fix; so I made one.'

The others had stayed silent through their conversation but now Olivia needed them to work out what to do. "Okay, I'm not saying I'm going to help you but sit tight." Scott nodded and watched the group leave, closing the door behind them.

"So what do we do now?" Quinn was confused as to what their next step could possibly be. "Who do we help?" Olivia was pacing back and forth, thinking. After a few moments she stopped suddenly, "we try and help both of them." Abby frowned, "how do we do that when there isn't really a problem to fix… We know he's lying about the assault… What's to say he isn't lying about other things?" Olivia placed a finger to her lips, "I believe that he loves the congressman… my gut I telling me that he's telling the truth about that."

Abby raised an eyebrow and glanced at Huck who looked away immediately. "Sorry to say Liv, but your "gut" hasn't exactly been on point lately. You might wanna start basing your assumptions on something else." Huck frowned in Abby's direction; she could feel his cold glare burrowing into her soul. She raised her hands in surrender, "I'm just saying what everyone else is thinking."

Olivia pursed her lips, "how bout you focus on heading to the justice department to make sure David doesn't ruin a man's career?" Abby shook her head slightly and stormed off in a huff. Olivia watched her leave; a pang of guilt hitting her knowing that Abby was right. "Ok Quinn, you and Huck dig into both the congressman and Mr. Williams a bit more…. We need to find common ground for both of them. The congressman will be here soon." Both Quinn and Huck nodded and headed towards Huck's office, "how come Abby is the only one who is allowed to question Olivia?" Huck sat down at the bank of computers, "its none of our business Quinn, we have a job to do." Quinn could tell that Huck knew more than he was saying.

Olivia closed the door behind her as she entered her office; she was startled by the shrill ringing of her phone. She picked it up off the desk, its screen making her sigh; Cyrus Beene. This wasn't really a conversation she wanted to have but knew he wouldn't leave her be until she answered. "Yes Cyrus?"

_"__Our spot… 10 minutes."_

She didn't get a chance to agree. He hung up.

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Cyrus sat on the bench, two cups in hand. The sun was high in the sky and people were taking advantage of the mild conditions; milling around like ants. He spotted the woman he was waiting for. She strode towards him purposefully; her long legs accentuated by grey slacks, ending in black Louis Vuitton pumps. Both matching with a white ruffle blouse, grey jacket and white Prada handbag, She reached where he was sitting, eyebrows raised, "what?"

Cyrus handed her one of the cups; tea of course, Olivia Pope didn't drink coffee. "Is that any way to greet a friend?" She took the cup and sat beside him, "are we…. Still friends?" Cyrus looked at her, surprised, "of course."

There was a short silence between the pair before Cyrus continued. "I do however have a problem that needs fixing." Olivia took a sip of the tea in her hands, the liquid warming her insides, " I don't work for the White House anymore." Cyrus shook his head and leant into her, "it's hard to know who your working for these days. If recent events serve me well anyone would think that you're a janitor at the Capitol Building; cleaning men's rooms."

Olivia gritted her teeth, "what did you call me here for Cyrus… To tell me to stay away?... to give me a lecture on how I'm endangering the republic? Cause I can tell you now either wont serve you well." Cyrus shifted his position and leant forward, "I called you here to ask you why I'm fielding calls from reporters about you and the President of the United States being seen leaving a men's room together."

Olivia closed her eyes and sighed; this was the last thing she needed, "why don't you ask the President?" Taking a sip of his coffee, Cyrus let the question linger… "Because if I push him on this he will break…he's fragile and… " Olivia cut him off, "the last thing Fitzgerald Thomas Grant the III is, is fragile." Cyrus shook his head, disagreeing. "The man can be a political monster with the best of us, but one meeting with you in a men's room bring shim to his knees…. So before he loses it completely and I can't stop the meltdown, I wanna know why your endangering the republic!"

Olivia scoffed; Cyrus could be so self- righteous sometimes. "I had no idea he was going to be there Cyrus. I was there on a case. My client just happened to be in the men's room…"

Cyrus eyed her curiously, "what client?" Olivia lent back on the bench and cradled her cup in both hands. "I got a call about Congressman Jackson, one of his aides accused him of sexual assault." Cyrus frowned and let out a half hearted giggle, "so you thought it would be a good idea to go into a men's room alone with him?" Olivia shook her head, "I'm not his type, anyway I'm handling it…. It won't be a problem for you or the White House. Fitz got the wrong idea Cyrus…. Washington is a small town in a political sense… what do you expect me to do?... not take on clients that may or may not have me entering places that he might turn up? I'm sorry if seeing me affects him…. It affects me to Cyrus. He's not the only one in this situation. I'm sorry if it affects you but this is really none of your business."

With that Olivia stood up and made to leave. Before she could do so Cyrus grabbed her hand, stopping her. He stood up. "It does more than affect me! It affects the entire country… when he can't concentrate due to having seen the woman he calls the love of his life, in a restroom with another man. Do what you have to… see him…. make one of you late night heavy breathing phone calls, JUST… FIX… IT.." Olivia snatched her hand back and started to walk away. Cyrus called after her, "keep me in the loop on the Jackson thing; a senate seat just opened up and he's on the short list!"

Olivia didn't respond; she kept walking. She had a job to do… one that didn't involve demands from Cyrus Beene. She did want to explain to Fitz that what he saw was just a misunderstanding; she knew he had always had trouble with jealousy when it came to her… it clouded his judgment and he didn't know what to believe anymore.

**NOTE: aaaaannndddd done. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter.. I HAD SO MUCH FUN WRITING IT! Feel free to leave reviews and tell me what you think. I love you all! **

**XX MEL XX**


	4. Chapter 4

**CHAPTER 4: THE HOUSE THAT WE BUILT: THE CONGRESSIONAL CLOSET**

So here is chapter 4! Once again thanks to everyone who is reading/reviewing/fav and following me and/or this story! It truly does mean a lot! As with all chapters this one is dedicated to #Gladiators everywhere, living the life, dreaming the dream and looking for that house that's somewhere in Vermont on Google maps!

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Abby was furious with Olivia.

Not in a _I am so mad at you because you hurt me _way but the _why won't you let me help you kind of _way. It was like Liv enjoyed the torture. Everyone around her knew that if it wasn't for Liv, they would either be dead, in prison or sitting in a hole slowly going insane; they wanted to return the favor… save her from whatever demons she was battling.

She tried to shake it off as she walked up the stairs of the justice department; David Rosen was not going to like this at all. Abby smiled sweetly at David's secretary, who frowned intently as Abby strolled right into the office without and appointment; AGAIN! David looked up as Abby walked into his office. She smiled at him. He could never tell if it was genuine or if she just wanted something from him. The sickly sweet _"David"_ that accompanied the smile told him everything; Abby wanted a favor.

"Abby…. What can I do for Olivia Pope & Associates today?" Abby feigned a look of hurt, "why do you always assume that I want something?" David raised his eyebrows and folded his arms in front of him, "well do you?" Abby bit her bottom lip playfully, "yes… but that's not the point! Can't I just come and see you because its what friends do?" David laughed; they were more than friends…. Once. "We're not friends Abby… I on several occasions put my body parts inside yours and told you I loved you…. But there was always a price… So I ask you again…. What do you want?"

Abby sighed and decided it was easier to just come out and ask for what she needed, "I need you to drop this thing involving Congressman Jackson; its not what you think." David lent back on his chair, a look of _Olivia Pope is at it again_ plastered across his face. "It never is when you boss is involved…. She likes to pretend to wear the white hat but really all she does is circumvent the law to her needs. How many times does she think she can do this and expect me to play along?… hmmm… I am the law Abby and no matter what my feelings for you may be, I have a duty to up hold the law." Abby sat down in one of the chairs opposite the large mahogany desk David sat behind; she was slightly taken aback by his rawness. "No law has been broken, nothing happened." David almost laughed in Abby's face, "and… what I'm supposed to just take your word for it?"

Abby could tell she wasn't going to be able to convince him to drop the case; fine… he could investigate, find nothing and once again be the laughing stock of the district attorney's office. She stood up and looked directly at him, "fine! Just know that when you come up short, that I asked nicely." With that she walked out of the office, leaving David to ponder the ramifications of her last statement.

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Olivia closed her eyes and massaged her neck; she was waiting for the elevator. He whole upper body ached; her shoulders weighed down with the invisible baggage she carried with her. A soft ping from the elevator arriving at the lobby pulled her back into reality. She pulled open the door to the old freight style elevator; it rattled along its roller both while opening and as she closed it. It took less time for it to reach the floor of OPA than it had coming down to get her. As it came to a stop she noticed that Quinn was waiting for her. She stepped off and strode through the door to OPA. "What is it Quinn?"

Quinn hurried along beside her, "the congressman is here." Olivia frowned, "you didn't put him in the conference room with Scott did you?" Quinn shook her head, "No… we put him in your office… but Olivia there's something else." Olivia stopped walking and turned to Quinn, waiting for her to continue, "well? What is it Quinn?" She handed Olivia the folder she had in her hands. Olivia opened it; her mouth falling open slightly, shocked, at what she was reading. "This can't be right Quinn… We looked into this…" Quinn nodded, a smile pulling at the corner of her mouth, "Huck managed to hack into some encrypted government files and this is what we found." Olivia closed the folder and looked through the glass panel in her door to where congressman Jackson sat. After a few moments she opened the door and walked in. "Congressman! Nice to see you again." The congressman stood up as she entered the room, "Ms. Pope, lets get this over with." Olivia removed her jacket and hung it on the coat rack; she sat at her desk and looked at the congressman closely. He shifted under gaze. "I know congressman…" It took a few moments for the statement to register with him, "you know what Ms. Pope… that the love of my life is trying to take me down… destroy everything I've worked so hard to build." Olivia lent forward, elbows on the edge of the desk, "so your aware that Mr. Williams accused you?" Trey smiled, "Scott couldn't just be happy with the lot he has been given; he is strong willed and doesn't hide who he is, he came out of his closet years ago." Olivia listened intently, "no… he's not happy… but from what I know of Mr. Williams, he didn't do this to hurt you or try and destroy you… he just wants what everyone else wants… A life out of the shadows with the person they love. Its not unreasonable or spiteful…. Its human."

Trey stood up and ran his hands through his hair, "I'm a United States Congressman who is on the short list for a senate seat… he's trying to drag me out of the closet! Well I'm sorry but I've worked to hard and sacrificed to much to let him take it all away; do you know how many gay men hold a congressional seat?... none and that's how its going to stay." Liv could feel her own heart breaking; she hated living in a world where people weren't equal or were judged by their sexual orientation. She knew how it felt both being a woman of color and with having to hide who she loved. She was going to help both these men; she needed to.

She flipped open the folder Quinn had handed her. "Trey, I know this seems like an impossible situation…" He cut her off, "It's not an impossible situation! It's a nightmare… created by someone who I thought loved me." Olivia nodded, "he does love you… he's loved you since he saved your life as a part of a rescue operation to free 5 Americans from Afghan forces back in 2002." The congressman turned as white as a sheet and sat back down, "his…. His military record and my involvement in that is classified, how do you have it?" It was now Olivia's turn to get up out of her seat; she moved around the desk and sat down in the chair next to him, "why is it classified? I understand Scott's involvement being redacted but why is your involvement and his entire military career classified?"

The congressman stayed silent, looking at the shelf behind Olivia's desk. Liv reached out and placed a tentative hand on his leg, "if I don't know everything I can't help you, and at this point I really do think that I'm the only one who able to." Trey turned his head and looked at Olivia through tear flooded eyes; he took a shuddering breath in, "it's classified because if anyone was to find out that a man, who is now a United States congressman, was a drug mule for Al-Qaida and that the U.S government gave him immunity and then a congressional seat, it would bring into question too many other choices and decisions made at the time." Olivia's eyes widened; this was about to get messy.

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"Lauren! Get Cyrus in my office now!" Tom had just told him that he had seen Cyrus talking to Olivia; he wanted to know why. A few minutes passed until Cyrus arrived. Lauren poked her head around the door, "sir, Mr. Beene." Fitz nodded and she let Cyrus in.

"How is she?" Cyrus knew right away that his little rendezvous with Olivia hadn't gone unnoticed, "busy… she's handling the Jackson thing… which I'm guessing you already know". Fitz frowned; why would Olivia be handling Trey Jackson? "What do you mean handling?" It was now Cyrus's turn to be confused, "sir? ... One of his aide's accused him of sexual assault. He's her client." Fitz swiped his arm across his desk sending papers flying. "Why can't a senate short list or confirmation ever just be easy? Why does everyone have skeleton's in their closet?" Cyrus shifted on his feet; he could feel Fitz's rage from where he stood, "so I'm guessing Jackson is the pick to replace Wills?"

Fitz ran a hand down his face, "he seemed like the right pick but just like everything else it never works out." Cyrus shook his head and bent down to retrieve one of the loose papers from the desk. "Liv's on it… I'm sure we can still push his nomination through; we've still got time." He looked at his President. He looked defeated, sad almost. There was a few moments of silence before Cyrus spoke again.

"Sir, normally I would be the last person to advise this but you need to call her… air whatever grievances… feelings… whatever you need to say to each other to make this better. I've said it before and I'll say it again now... your ticking…. Like a bomb, that I…. as your chief of staff, can't disarm. We all know there is only one thing that can stop the meltdown… ironically the exact same thing that caused it… caused you to start ticking. So call Olivia Pope…. Have long conversations about your _hopes_ and your _dreams_. JUST. DISARM. THE. BOMB. Cyrus slammed his hand down on the desk following each word to accentuate his point.

Fitz's steely glare burrowed into Cyrus, "are you done?" Cyrus laughed and ran a hand through his hair. "No!... but you will be. This _country_ will be if you can't keep your mind in the game. I know you say you _love_ her and want to be with her…. But you can't!... you weren't born to he happy…. You were born to be President of these United States and this doe eyed, hopelessly idiotic fantasy you keep playing over and over again, in your head, is killing any chance you have of doing anything important. Olivia Pope is destroying you and in turn endangering the republic… and that CAN NOT happen! So fix it!"

Fitz's gaze hadn't left Cyrus the whole time he was talking; he smiled slightly, "it must really eat at you that the girl you brought in to save the day, has more power over me than you do. It must kill you that she is the one I answer to!" Cyrus scoffed and began to walk away but turned back suddenly, "_YOU _answer to the America People. I. AM. THE PEOPLE, you answer to me. She may have molded you into something the people like but don't ever think you answer to anyone BUT _ME_. I'm your political equivalent to whatever happily ever after fantasy you want with her. It's my herrion- hallelujah, my reason for being and the sole reason you exist. I don't' want to have to break the chain you keep me on Mr. President, but if you don't fix this yourself, I will…. To save you from yourself… I will." With that Cyrus turned and walked out the door; leaving Fitz to stew.

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Quinn who had come bursting into her office startled Olivia. "liv, we've got a problem." She frowned and followed Quinn out of her office; the congressman close behind. At the same time Huck had come out of his office with Scott following. Trey and Scott share a momentary glance at one another; Scott losing the ability to hold the gaze, feeling a little ashamed of what he was putting the love of his life through. "What is it Quinn?" Quinn didn't have time to answer before echoing thuds ruminated from the main office door. Huck strode towards the door; more thuds echoing around the space. Liv frowned. It could only be two people; Cyrus Beene or David Rosen. "Ok congressman… Mr. Williams… I need you both to go into the conference room and wait for us there." A fleeting moment passed between the pair before Olivia spoke again, "I can get you both through this but whatever we're doing it starts now!" Scott moved first, heading towards the conference room; Trey threw his hands up in surrender and followed suit. Olivia nodded in Huck's direction, signaling for him to open the door. He did so, stepping to the side as David Rosen pushed past him.

"Olivia Carolyn Pope! Do you ever get tired of thwarting the justice system or has it become a hobby for you? I really wanna know… is it the thrill of breaking the law or is it that you like seeing me fall on my face?" Olivia smiled and eyed David curiously, "David! What can I do for the justice department today?" David stepped up to Olivia; barely a nose length between them, "you can start by surrendering Congressman Trey Jackson…." Liv smiled, "and what makes you think we have him?" David's eyes narrowed at this; he knew she was stalling, "well for one, sending Abby to warn me off was a dead giveaway and two, his office said he was here, so produce him NOW!" Huck stepped towards the pair and placed a hand on David's chest as he began to close the small gap between them, "you need to step back… now." Liv put a hand on Huck's shoulder, "it's ok Huck" Huck glanced at Liv, moving back to where he was.

"What does the Justice department want with Congressman Jackson?" David sighed, "this must be a sport for you; pretending to not know what's going on, while secretly pulling the strings to make things go your way." Liv knew she was getting on David's nerves but she decided to push him a little further.

"Let's just say, hypothetically, that the congressman is here and he is my client… what exactly are the charges, because, and this is just hypothetically, from the facts at hand, the district attorney would never sign off on you investigating a United States Congressman with out solid proof, so this is all just one big fishing expedition, where like every other time you have tried to build a case on nothing but your disdain for me and how I conduct business, you will come up empty. You can't think I'm above calling in a few favors from your bosses and their bosses to get you put on some nice vacation time and we all know how that turned out last time don't we? You may think your on the right side of this David but I'm sorry my white hat will always over shadow yours. So unless you have proof and/ or a subpoena for the congressman, and again, this is all just hypothetical, you should leave this office and go back to fighting the real monsters, instead of wasting my time."

David gritted his teeth; she of course was right. He had no proof and had not gotten the nod from the D.A to start any sort of investigation. "Can you at least pretend not to enjoy watching me fall on my face?" He turned on his heel and walked towards the door, bumping into Abby as she entered. She could tell something had gone down between him and Olivia and once again he had come off second best. He pushed past her and out into the elevator. Abby offered a sympathetic smiled but knew it would do little to sway his feelings towards all those serving under the shield of Olivia Pope.

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Fitz sat, scotch in hand, staring at the photo of him and Olivia. It had been a long day; mainly consisting of being screamed at by Cyrus. All his meetings and appearances were done for the day so there he sat, wanting nothing more than to fall asleep in Olivia's arms. For all of Cyrus's bullying he was right about one thing; he need to see her, talk to her, tell her he loved her.

He downed the last of the scotch and pulled out his burner phone from the desk draw; _Falcon code_. He let the weight of it caress his hand for a few moments before dialing. He leant back in his chair, placing his feet up on the desk. It rang a few times before she answered.

_"__Hi"_

Fitz couldn't help but let a smile slip onto his lips.

"Hi"

Olivia sighed.

"_You're calling me?"_

Fitz nodded; a reflex, even though no- one was there to see it.

"Yes… Isn't that what you wanted?"

A heavy silence hung over the line; Olivia broke it.

_"__What you saw today… it wasn't.."_

Fitz cut her off.

"I know… I'm sorry."

Olivia was taken aback by this; Cyrus must have told him what had happened. Before she could say anything he continued.

"I need to see you…"

He could tell her mind was screaming no; it always did. He decided that he wouldn't give her a choice.

"There is a car coming for you… I need to see you and you can't say no…. I need _one minute_."

Olivia's breath caught in her throat; one minute.

_"__Fine and where exactly is this car taking me?"_

Fitz smiled to himself.

"Its bringing you to me… to where I can be with you… now hang up."

Without a second though Olivia obeyed, hanging up the phone. Looks like it was a trip to the White House.

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**NOTE: Chapter 4 done! YASSS #Olitz phone call… and possible rendezvous? Hope you guys liked it. I know a few of you hate Cyrus rants… and would prefer that he note be in this story much but he is so easy to write for and he pushes the story along. Please don't be afraid to tell me what you thought of this chapter. Much love XX MEL XX**


	5. AUTHORS NOTE

**TO EVERYONE READING THIS STORY...**

**I would firstly like to thank each and everyone of you! You, the readers are what writers like me and yourselves writer for... you give us the energy to keep going and the inspiration to try and push ourselves beyond any limits we have... So i am truly grateful that so many people are reading this story. I would also like to thank people for taking the time to review and let me know what you think... I love being able to hear what you guys think and hopefully be able to provide you all with something you want to continue reading.**

**All of my reviews have been amazing and I am so appreciative that you give me feed back. However, I have received a few about the last 2 chapters of this story (3 and 4), that appear to have some of my readers a bit on edge about my writing style and how I am choosing to lay the elements out in each chapter. I completely understand everything you guys are saying... and each review helps to try and define a way around the issues that are coming up. I know most of us in the #scandal family want VERMONT... and BABIES.. and Liv making JAM! I want that too! I REALLY REALLY REALLY DO! But I feel that if I just jump right in and give us some fluffy #Olitz that I am being unfaithful to the characters, storylines and the future that Shonda has given us to work with. I know this is just fan fiction and none of the confines matter as such, but for me.. i feel the need to build up to a satisfying ending and believe me that is the plan. **

**The main concern you guys are having is that I keep writing these massive CYRUS BEENE RANTS and by doing so I am painting our beloved President Grant as just some little bitch who doesn't have any power or isn't strong enough to stand up and be the most powerful man in the world. I COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND WHY YOU GUYS FEEL THIS! But i wish to offer an explanation as to WHY I have chosen to do so and this is in no way a negative feeling towards any of your concerns. Thus far, I have written Cyrus ranting at the president, to feed into the eventuality of Fitz and Olivia talking/seeing each other and as the CYRUS RANT in the last chapter has done this, I feel there will be no further need for him to do any more ranting AS YET. Believe me when I say that Cyrus is gonna get what's coming to him! I feel like I have done you all a dis- service by making you feel I am writing Fitz as weak and not very presidential. I in no way intended to do this.**

**Hopefully you guys will continue to read the story, so that you can see there is INDEED a point to all of it. As I've said before, I write for you as well as myself and want to give you the story you all want.. So upon reading this I hope that you feel a little better towards the story and continue to read and tell me your thoughts. DO NOT DISTRESS FLUFFY OLITZ IS ON THE WAY! **

**I LOVE ALL OF OUR GLADIATORS AND SCANDAL FAMILY... :) **


	6. Chapter 5

**THE HOUSE THAT WE BUILT- CHAPTER 5:**

I could die everyday waiting for you.

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Olivia had sent everyone home for the night; they would deal with everything in the morning. After her phone call with Fitz she knew a car, accompanied by Tom would be arriving for her soon. She had to admit she felt butterflies rising in her stomach; images of her dream that very morning came flooding back. She was brought out of her revere by a knock on her door. She peered through the peephole; Tom stood on the other side. Her ride was here. Flicking off the light she opened the door. Stepping out, closing it behind her; she smiled at Tom, who nodded.

"Tom." A silence.

"Ms. Pope."

They lingered in the hallway for a few moments before Tom gestured that they should be on their way; the President was waiting.

They reached the waiting car, Tom opening the door for Olivia. She always felt special whenever Tom was around; he didn't make her feel like just some whore the President was having an affair with. He slid in behind her, closing the door as he went. Tom radioed the driver and they began the short journey to their destination. Olivia could see Tom stealing glances at her from the corner of his eye. She smiled which he noticed; clearing his throat to break the tension.

"I don't mean to keep looking at you ma'am… it's just we've never really been alone together and I'm curious a to what the President is so in love with."

Olivia turned her whole body so that she was half facing Tom.

"And…?"

Tom glanced at her again, then back to the front of the car.

"You are certainly beautiful, but respectfully ma'am, I don't think that's what he loves about you."

Olivia had always known Tom to be a man of few words, but this small amount of conversation told her so much more. He made her feel relaxed and protected; much like he would if she was anyone remotely important like the President.

She smiled to herself.

"How come you treat me differently than other people… like I'm a person? I'm not that important."

Tom visibly frowned and looked at her properly for the first time.

"You are important… Arguably the most important woman in the world… and as for being treated like a person… you're my President's person. I serve at the pleasure of the President."

Olivia looked out the tinted window.

"Don't we all."

As she said this the car rolled to a stop; Tom's secret service agent face firmly back in place. He got out of the vehicle and walked around to open her door; he extended a hand and helped her out.

The halls of the West Wing were quiet; everybody having gone home. Tom escorted her through the myriad of hallways that made up the White House; it became clear where she was going. They reached their destination. Tom knocked on the door and gave Olivia a small smile.

"Ms. Pope." He turned the handle and ushered her inside.

She smiled back and followed his direction.

"Thank you Tom." As soon as she was inside he pulled the door closed and stood just outside; **_Falcon code was in effect_**.

Olivia turned around and surveyed the room before her; the Oval Office. She had been in this room over 100 times before but somehow this time felt different. The door on the opposite side of the room opened and she felt her heart skip a beat.

"Hi..." Olivia smiled.

"Hi…"

Fitz closed the door behind him and walked, hands in his pants pockets over to the Presidential Seal that adorned the carpet in his office. He loosened his tie, smiling.

"It's good to see you."

Olivia always admired the way he could make her feel at ease right away. She walked further into the room, removing her jacket, placing it, along with her handbag onto one of the sofas. He took a few steps towards her; testing the waters, seeing how she would react. To his surprise, she stepped into his space; running her hands over his shirt, smoothing out the invisible wrinkles there. Olivia looked up into his gorgeous eyes.

"It's good to see you to."

The words were barely a whisper but he heard them, enveloping her in a her into a hug. She hugged him back, her forehead resting on his shoulder. She took a few deep breaths, his scent overwhelming her. They were now in sync; heartbeats and breathing all coming together like a well-oiled machine. He placed a soft kiss into her hair; reveling in the calm that surrounded them. After a few moments she released herself from his arms, looking back into his eyes; she smiled. Fitz raised an eyebrow.

"What?"

She cupped his face with her hand.

"I'm just wondering what Cyrus would say."

Fitz smiled back at her.

"I'm sure he will get over it."

He couldn't help but stare into her eyes; she stared back. Moments passed before Liv interrupted it.

"I'm handling Congressman Jackson."

Fitz sighed as she moved out of his arms and perched herself on the arm of the sofa. He moved over to the table and poured them a glass of scotch each. He took a sip, handing her the other glass. She took it. Fitz moved in front of her, placing his hands on the arm of the chair either side of her; he leant in, their faces barely a breath away from each other.

"I don't wanna talk about the congressman right now."

Olivia's breath hitched at his proximity to her; his breath on her face. He continued.

"I wanna talk about Vermont… babies… and you…" She smiled. She knew where this was going.

"And me… making jam." He smiled back at her; their noses brushing against one another's. Every single touch sent shivers through Olivia.

"And you making jam." Fitz put his glass on the table next to them; not once looking away from her eyes.

The tension was building. He could tell; Olivia's breaths had become sharp intakes, like he was stealing her air. He brushed his lips against hers. Not lingering long enough; as he moved back a little, she followed. She put her untouched scotch next to his on the table. Snaking her arms around his neck, she ran her hands through his hair. They were doing this dance of should they or shouldn't they; both knowing they would eventually. A few moments pass and Olivia couldn't hold back anymore. She brought their lips together; a slow and passionate kiss. Fitz deepened the kiss; needing to show Olivia just how much she meant to him. It wasn't a rushed kiss; all emotion and feeling left unsaid flowing through them, their lips in sync moving as one. Feeling the need for air, Olivia broke the embrace and came face to face with Fitz's gorgeous eyes once again. He cupped her face with his hands; his thumb caressing her lips.

"I love you."

She leant into his hand and smiled. Fitz took a step back from her, causing Olivia to frown, until he extended his hand towards her; a giant grin on his face. She took the out stretched hand. He helped her up and led her out of the Oval.

"Fitz! Where are we going?"

He didn't reply; just continued to lead her along. They turned a corner. He opened a door and waited for her to go through. As she did so her heart almost stopped. She smiled as he wrapped his arms around her from behind; kissing her neck. She interlaced her fingers with his on her stomach. Fitz rested his chin on her shoulder.

"I missed you."

Olivia leant her whole body against his, relaxing into him.

"Fitz… it's beautiful."

She looked out at the vista before her; it was their spot. **_5 minutes every other Monday_**. Lights were strung up, culminating in an apex above a table with two seats; candles and wine glasses adorned the table. A gentle silence had settled around them but was once again broken by Olivia. She turned around in his arms. Cupping his face with her hands, she looked into his eyes.

"I… love… you to."

Her words, barely a whisper, meant everything to Fitz. It symbolized that through everything that there was still hope of some sort of future. He smiled down at her.

"Have dinner with me Liv?"

He extracted himself from her arms and walked over to the dining setting; pulling out a chair for her to sit on. She walked over and he pushed in her chair as she sat down. She smiled at the normalcy of the activity; it was something normal couples did…. Couples who weren't married to other people… who weren't President. Before he sat down he poured her a glass of wine. As he sat, he nodded to a secret service agent who was lingering on the edge of the garden. Olivia took a sip of her wine.

"mmm… I can't remember the last time I was here." Fitz smiled at her.

"I do! You stood me up! I was left standing here."

Olivia made to speak but Fitz stopped her.

"Liv… its fine. I'm kidding."

She fiddled with the stem of her glass and looked around her.

"Not that I'm not impressed… but how did you manage to pull this off?"

"Ooh ouch!" He feigned a look of hurt.

"That hurts you know. Haha. Okay. I might have had a bit of help. After all I'm a busy man… Lots of things to do!"

She grinned, knowing that it was all in good fun.

"So… how many people are stuck here so you can have dinner with me?... I know Josē is here. You don't eat unless he cooks… Tom is here."

Fitz leant forward, his elbows on the table.

"Most of them are at home. Since I'm not actually in the oval, I was able to send them home to their loved ones and Josē and Tom are doing me a favor." Olivia took another sip of wine.

"Ahh, a Fitz favor." They both laughed at this; it was an easy, comfortable laugh.

"How are you?" Fitz reached across the table and picked up her hand.

"I'm okay, being president you know." She relaxed a little more as he traced circles with his thumb on the back of her hand. "How are you?"

She looked over at him, his face softened by the flicker of candlelight. "Apart from getting caught in a men's room with a congressman, who was accused by their partner of sexual assault… I'm great."

Fitz pondered this for a second. "Cyrus told me about Congressman Jackson… he's actually my pick for the senate seat that just opened up… Is there anything serious I need to worry about?"

Olivia eyed him cautiously; she wasn't sure how much he already knew and didn't want to give to much away. "Well it hasn't become anything to worry about yet, but A.U.S.A David Rosen is sniffing around."

Fitz frowned; Mr. Rosen seemed not to like Liv that much. "Any concern that he could become an issue? I want to try and push his nomination through… the last thing I need is any more problems in the Senate."

Olivia sat back as a waiter came over and put down a plate in front of her. She smiled. Fitz thanked him.

"Thanks Nick, that will be all. Tell Josē he can head home." The young man nodded.

"Mr. President… Ma'am."

Fitz looked over the table at Liv. "Is there?"

This caused Olivia to frown, "is there what?"

Fitz took a sip of the wine next to him. Truth be told he wasn't much of a wine drinker but Liv liked it.

"Going to be any problems if I try and push his nomination through. He looks good but there must be something wrong if your involved."

Olivia's comfortable feeling had left her completely. "You know I don't discuss my clients with you… I don't work for the White House anymore." Fitz pushed a roast potato through a river of gravy.

"No… we only discuss what it's not when you get caught in men's rooms with them." Fitz regretted it as soon as the words had slipped from his mouth. Olivia shook her head and got up; Fitz followed, grabbing her hand to stop her from leaving.

"I'm sorry… that was a low blow. I know you would never… could never do that… be that person."

Olivia looked towards the sky, tears threatening to fall. She spoke, her voice betraying any signs that she was keeping it together.

"How is it any different to what I'm doing now?" She turned to face him. "How is it any different to the person I'm being right now… having dinner with you while your wife is out of the country. How is that any different? Or does it only make me a whore if I'm getting paid?"

Fitz grabbed her and pulled her into him, "don't ever call yourself a whore! How many times do I have to tell you that I love you and I'm not going anywhere… please don't ever think your less than important… you're the most important person in my life and I can not breathe without you."

Olivia looked into his eyes; tears rolling down her face. Fitz kissed her; this time with all the urgency in the world. She gave in a kissed him back; her hands in his hair, his hands roaming her body. After a few moments of frenzied ecstasy, Liv pushed him back; both of her hands on his chest.

"We can't keep doing this to each other… we can't keep…"

Fitz shook his head, "let's not worry about any of that tonight… its just you and me… there's no clients, no Cyrus, no Mellie… You and me… and Vermont."

Olivia shook her head, "We're not in Vermont! We are at the White House, surrounded by all things Presidential." She tried to step out of his arms but he wouldn't let her. His eyes had begun to well with sadness.

"You know what I've learnt while being president? The one thing that had kept me going through all of this?" There was a short silence; Fitz let go of Olivia. "You're Vermont!... You're MY Vermont… anywhere you are, that's where my future is. Yes… I want to marry you, have babies and grow old with you… that's all I want but I know right now, that it's not that simple and neither you nor I can fix it…The things in life most worth doing are the hardest… My entire world exists for you. I exist for you and no amount of Cyrus telling me that we can't be together, no amount of political charades from Mellie or you pushing me away if going to change the fact that I'm in love you. There is no Cyrus or Mellie here Liv, its just you and me. So lets just be here… As you have said to me… it's not how we want it to be but it is what it is. So I'm asking you… do you love me enough to be in this with me… right here?"

Olivia didn't know what to do. Everything was just so complicated; not matter how simple Fitz was trying to make it. She wanted it to be simple; she wanted everything Fitz wanted, she just couldn't see how it could happen, how they could make it work.

'Fitz… it's not that simple."

Fitz could see her battling with her feelings; her eyes betraying her.

"Do you love me?" Olivia frowned. Of course she did.

"That's not the point." Fitz shook his head.

"Do you love me; it's a yes or no question." Olivia looked him dead in the eyes.

"How can you ask me that? After everything…?" Fitz grabbed her hand.

"I know you want to love me but your fighting it with every fiber of your being. I know you… better than anyone; you're afraid. Afraid that if you give into your feelings, if you let me in, that your not in control anymore, that you cant control the situation…. But Liv you can't control everything. Life isn't about always being in control… its about losing it and seeing where it takes you. You can't control the fact that I love you. You can't control the fact, despite what you try and tell yourself, you love me and we're meant to be together. So… LOVE ME… in this moment, right here…. Love me."

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**AUTHORS NOTE: Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. I know it wasn't completely fluffy but I have a plan for the story.. thanks for reading.. much love XX MEL XX**


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